The Los Angeles Galaxy are a confident team heading into their second SuperLiga game Saturday against Chivas de Guadalajara at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
L.A. is currently on top of Group A after its win against CF Pachuca on Tuesday night, and will secure a place in the next round with a win. That could be a tall order however, as the game is being played downtown at the two-time Olympic stadium, rather than The Home Depot Center, and it's expected to be filled to capacity with Chivas supporters.
"If we thought (Pachuca) might be a little bit of a Mexican crowd or a little bit of an away game, (Chivas) is going to be 100 percent of an away game," said Galaxy midfielder Kyle Martino. "The atmosphere is going to be intense and Chivas is a very difficult team to play against. Luckily we have a little bit of time to prepare."
The Galaxy have the luxury of knowing what they need to do in order to advance. But that hasn't bred overconfidence in the Galaxy camp, as the win against Pachuca was just the first step in the group phase of the tournament. It was all business in training during the week as the Galaxy prepared for what will be the most hostile environment they will play in all year.
"All these teams we've been playing are good sides, so we have to get ready for every game we play," said Alan Gordon, who scored a goal against Pachuca on Tuesday. "We're obviously not going to take (Chivas) lightly. We know they're a good team. They're the same quality of Pachuca. We had to work very hard (against Pachuca) -- that's what we have to do on Saturday."
Even if the Galaxy should manage a draw, the worst position they can be in at the end of the day is tied for first in the group. It's an enviable position to be in. While a loss wouldn't be devastating to their chances of advancing, it would be a huge setback, not just for the tournament, but for the progress the team has been making over the last week.
"If you win your first game in any knockout situation, you're in the driver's seat for the next match. We know we have to get a good result against Chivas and not lose that game," said Galaxy head coach Frank Yallop. "If we can get a result on Saturday, we're through. It's a big game on Saturday and we're looking forward to it."
Greg Daurio is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
